A/N: So, I've decided to try out another story here. It's different, but I'm hoping you'll enjoy it. I won't neglect my other story don't worry, I'm working on the next chapter for that one as we speak, or as I type...whatever. Please read and review and let me know what you think. Thanks to my beta JavaJunkieLL4Ever. You're help was great!

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters...and that is sad. :(

Luke Danes loved owning his own business and tonight was no different. Yes, it had been a busy night, Stars Hallow High School had won their 5th consecutive football game, leaving them undefeated and the whole damn town had come out to celebrate. He'd kept so busy he hadn't noticed the brown eyes following his every move, still even now after the diner was closed for the night. Luke was going through the motions of closing, doing dishes, wiping tables down and closing out the cash register now mindlessly. He glanced up to the clock handing over the door and it was glowing brightly 12:30, he groaned. Luke wanted nothing more than to climb into bed and sleep for days but of course that would be impossible, he had to open in the morning.

I can't do this, Luke thought his mind starting to get fuzzy. He decided to cut corners tonight, he needed sleep. As he was headed to his upstairs apartment a noise stopped him.

What was that? He stopped and listened closely, it sounded like a…No, it can't be that. It is. It's a baby crying.

Luke panicked slightly and hurriedly turned on the lights again. Sure enough he found a baby carrier and bag on the floor by the window. Luke gently pulled the carrier up and placed it on the table. The little girl, or at least he assumed it was a girl, was wrapped in a pink blanket, wide awake now whimpering. He noticed a note pinned to the blanket and he tenderly removed it. Reading it he about fainted:

Hi daddy, my name is April Kathryn Danes and I'm your daughter. My mommy couldn't keep me, could you? Take me, raise me, and love me please. Thank you.

Luke read the note again, trying to piece the puzzle together, it wasn't working. Luke started panicking again when the cries started growing in volume. Luke ran behind the counter, grabbed the phone, and dialed a very familiar number.

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The brown eyes stayed just out of sight in the darkness by the gazebo in the middle of town. A sigh was heard to no one but her as she watched Luke notice their daughter. She regretted doing this to him, but she had no choice. Now, all she had to do was disappear.

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"Hello?" a very groggy voice filled his ears.

"Lorelai, I need you to come to the diner, now!" Luke exclaimed breathlessly, panic in his voice.

"Luke, honey what is it?" his girlfriend was alert now, concerned.

"You just have to come here. I don't know what to do with it…her, please come." Luke was stammering and Lorelai was up, pulling on a sweatshirt.

"Luke calm down, I'm on my way. I can be there in ten minutes."

"Thanks Lorelai, please hurry."

Lorelai disconnected the call without saying goodbye and pulled on her sneakers. She hated just leaving her daughter asleep but she really didn't have a choice. Scrawling a quick note for her eight year old, just in case, she ran out the door and headed to Luke's.

She was thankful the diner wasn't too far from her home; not being the most athletic girl, running was not her strong suit. She arrived at the diner in eight minutes later completely out of breath.

Luke drank in the sight of his girlfriend, thankful for her existence in his life. They had been dating seven months now and it had been the best seven months of his life. She was flushed from the run over but still smiling brightly.

"Luke, what's up?" She asked after a silent moment and Luke could only point to the carrier. Lorelai walked over to the table and looked shockingly back at Luke. The little girl was quiet now, Luke had found her pacifier and that sedated her for the moment.

"Luke?" Lorelai asked and Luke only shrugged.

He found his voice several seconds later, "this was pinned to her blanket."

Lorelai took the note from him as he sat back on a bar stool. He was still trying to gather his thoughts.

Luke was struggling to think of the name of his last girlfriend. They'd broken up over a year ago and it hadn't been a very serious relationship. They had really only dated over the summer.

Ah, what was it. Shannon? Janna? No, no I remember now, it was Anna. Anna Nardini.

He looked up to find Lorelai staring back at him, their expressions of surprise matching.

"Wow," was all she said breaking the silence. "Do you know who the mother is?"

Luke nodded, why was it so damn hard to talk?

"Her name was Anna, Anna Nardini. We dated for a couple months last year, last summer more specifically. I didn't know…" his voice faded out.

What is she going to think? Luke's thoughts were racing. He couldn't bear to loose her but he couldn't blame her if she wanted out. His eyes were fixed on the floor between his shoes, he was afraid to look up. He was surprised to find her arms going around his waist pulling him tight.

"It's okay Luke," her voice was soft against his neck and Luke exhaled.

"Lorelai, I can't do this. I can't be a father."

"Yes you can. You're practically a father to Rory already and you've been wonderful with her."

"But, she's different. She's older, you've done most of the work," Luke insisted wrapping her tighter against his chest.

"Luke, you can do this and besides, I'll be here to help you."

As if on cue April let out a loud squeal. Lorelai went over and gently picked her up, rocking her and the cries quieted.

"I don't know, Lorelai, I just don't know."

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Anna Nardini's brown eyes filled with tears as she watched the pretty brunette pick her daughter up and rock her. She was glad to see that she would be well taken care of; she could feel the love between Luke and this woman even from across the square. Her heart ached though, knowing someone else would be raising her daughter.

"Bye baby girl. I'll always love you," the whispered words floated up into the night sky, unheard to anyone else.

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Lorelai looked down at the little girl in her arms, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that her boyfriend had a baby girl, a baby girl he knew nothing of until tonight.

"Lorelai, I'm scared." She had never heard him this timid before, this vulnerable and her heart broke for him.

"Luke, come home with me." The words were out before she'd thought about them. Even though they'd been dating for months and had been participating in activities related to dating, he'd never actually spent the night before. She had always been extra careful with her relationships; she had Rory to think about after all. But this felt right, she knew Luke was right.

The surprise in his eyes was classic and she almost laughed out loud.

"What?"

"Come home with me. I've still got a lot of Rory's baby things, including a travel crib we can set up for April. We'll figure the rest out tomorrow, after sleep."

"Are you sure Lorelai? Are you sure you want to get involved?" Luke had finally expressed the fear he'd been feeling since he discovered April less than thirty minutes ago.

Lorelai did laugh at this and Luke looked at her with questions in his eyes. "Luke, honey do you remember what I have waiting at home for me?"

Luke shrugged not sure where she was going with this.

"I have a beautiful, smart, talented eight-year-old at home. You told me when we started dating that since Rory was apart of me she'd be apart of your life too, do you remember that?"

"Yes, I remember that."

"Well, ditto. I love you Luke Danes and I'll love April because she's apart of you." Lorelai leaned over and kissed him gently. "You couldn't get rid of me if you wanted to."

Luke sighed, "Good, I don't want to." Lorelai leaned in to kiss him deeper only to be interrupted by April's desperate cry.

She looked down at the baby in her arms, "I'll bet you're hungry, huh baby girl? Let's get you home and fed. You coming daddy?"

Lorelai motioned to Luke and he slung the bag over his shoulder and picked up the carrier. "Yeah, Lorelai, let's go."

Luke flipped off the lights, locked the diner, and then headed out into the cool September night with his girlfriend and daughter.

As they were walking home Luke's heart swelled with the love he felt for both of these girls. Yes, he'd only know April was his daughter for less than an hour, but he already loved her greatly. Lorelai, he had loved her since the day she'd breezed into the diner in a fury begging for coffee last November. He would remember that day forever, it was the day his heart came back to life. He met Lorelai a year after his father's death and she was the first person he'd been able to open up to, to confide in. He was able to express his hurt and frustration to her and she'd been there to comfort him. They were instantly friends and Luke had asked her out only three months later. He'd been so relived when she said yes.

That had been months ago, and it still amazed him that they hadn't truly known each other for a year yet. However short their time together seemed to other people they knew they belonged together. They had been talking about the future more and more lately, but only Richard Gilmore and Rory knew he had started looking for a ring.

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Lorelai was nervous about having Luke in her home all night. She loved him, there was no question or doubt about that, but she was worried about how Rory would react. Lorelai hadn't really dated after Rory was conceived until Luke. She probably went on maybe two or three dates in the time she was raising her little girl, then Luke came into her life. Rory loved Luke, Lorelai didn't doubt that either, but she wanted to be cautious about her feelings. Arriving at home she unlocked the door and ushered him inside.

"Okay Luke, in the upstairs closet there should be a blue bag inside to the side that is the travel crib. Set it up in my room and I'll be up with April once I'm done feeding her. Sound good?"

"Okay," Luke answered tiredly and started up the stairs. He turned around and added a sincere, "Thanks Lorelai."

"You're welcome Luke. We'll figure this out, I promise."

She turned then and headed into her kitchen. Setting April down in the carrier on top of the table she dug a bottle and the canister of formula from the diaper bag that had been left with her. When April started fussing she prayed that Rory wouldn't wake up. She couldn't bear to try to explain it now, she was too tired. After April had been fed and her diaper changed, Lorelai headed upstairs with her. When she got to her room she smiled at the sigh in front of her. The crib was set up at the end of her bed and Luke was fast asleep on the bed, still fully clothed, shoes included.

She softly placed a now sleeping April in the crib and got ready for bed herself. Before she climbed in bed she removed Luke's shoes, socks, and baseball hat. Snuggling up to Luke she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

The morning came way too soon for either of them as April's loud cries dragged them from sleep.

"Uh, Lorelai?" Luke was awake and alert faster but paralyzed as he realized he knew nothing about caring for his daughter, even in the simplest task of picking her up.

"Pick her up Luke," Lorelai grunted, "I'm trying to wake up, I swear."

"But…"

"Luke, you have to learn, just cradle her neck and rock her gently"

Lorelai was struggling to get up and open her eyes. When shed did finally pry her eye lids apart she was touched by the scene. April's cries were softening as Luke gently held his daughter for the first time. She glanced at the alarm clock and sighed, 6 am on a Saturday.

"Okay, I'll prepare a bottle for her; you call Caesar and tell him you're not coming in today."

"I have to…"

"Luke, you can't. We've got to get this all figured out and you need more sleep. No work today."

"Lorelai."

"No arguments. If you don't call him I will."

"Okay, okay, I'll call."

"Good boy. I'll be right back." Lorelai stumbled down the stairs, into the kitchen, first starting a pot of coffee then preparing a bottle for April. She froze when she heard Rory's door open.

"Mommy?"

"Hey sugar bear. Good morning." Lorelai turned around and greeted her daughter with a bright, but tired, smile. Eight-year-old Rory stood in the doorway to her room, he stuffed rooster Mr. Cluckers hung by her side in one hand, the other rubbing her eyes.

"It's early."

"I know sweetie, come sit down and I'll get you a glass of orange juice." Rory sat down at the table slowly becoming more coherent.

"Rory honey, there is something we need to talk about."

"What is it?"

"Drink and eat, I'll be right back." Lorelai sat the orange juice and a pop tart in front of her, grabbed the bottle and ran up the stairs.

"There you are what took so long?" Luke asked out of frustration, April had grown fussy again.

"Sorry, Rory woke up. I now have to go and explain all this to her. Can you feed her?"

"I dunno…"

"You can Luke, just let me show you real quick." Lorelai walked Luke through properly feeding his daughter and then quickly hurried downstairs to Rory. She just hoped she would know what to say.

Walking into the kitchen Lorelai took a deep breath and sat down next to her daughter.

"Mom, what's up?"

"Well sweetie, Luke is…Luke is upstairs. He stayed the night here with us…and his daughter." Honesty was the best policy with Rory, even at eight she was able to see through any lie. She was the smartest kid Lorelai had ever come in contact with and to say she was proud was a severe understatement.

"Luke has a daughter?" Rory's mouth formed a very delicate 'o' in shock, her blue eyes growing big. "Uh mom, please explain."

Lorelai went into a brief description of her and Luke's night and little baby April. Rory inserted questions here and there trying to fully understand how a mother could abandon her own child. Lorelai answered the questions fired at her to the best of her ability, but there are some questions you just can't answer.

"Whoa, so Luke has a daughter. How old is she? What's she look like? When's her birthday?"

"Wow, slow down sugar bear, we don't now the answers to those questions yet."

"You don't?"

"Nope, but we'll find them out. Hey, before I go upstairs there is something else I want to talk to you about."

"Okay," Rory answered finishing off the last of her orange juice.

Lorelai paused, she had been thinking about this now for awhile, but the situation with April made it a much bigger thought in her mind over the last eight hours.

"What would you think of Luke and April moving in with us?"

Rory was silent for a moment and Lorelai couldn't breath. She loved Luke and wanted to make him a bigger part of her family, but the reply of her daughter would be the deciding factor.

"Well…" Rory started and Lorelai quickly cut her off.

"Hey, never mind. I just thought I would get your opinion."

"Mom, hold on. I love the idea of Luke living with us permanently. We would be like a real family."

"Really? You're okay with it?"

"Yeah!"

"Well okay, I'll talk to him about it and see what he says."

"Great. Hey, I'm going to go back to sleep for awhile, I'm still really tired and it's really, really early for a Saturday."

"Okay honey, sweet dreams." Lorelai sat for a moment thinking back over the conversation with Rory. She was thrilled that Rory was happy about the thought of Luke and April moving in, though it did have Lorelai thinking again about a future with Luke. A future that held the possibility of becoming Mrs. Luke Danes. She pushed those thoughts from her brain, now is not the time to be fantasizing about your happily-ever-after Gilmore, she thought to herself. Pushing away from the table she went back upstairs to check on April and Luke.

A/N: Please, please, please review and let me know what you think!! Thanks!